Main Line wrap-up: local runners shine at PAISAA race

Academy of Notre Dame finished second in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Cross-Country Championships at Belmont Plateau Oct. 27. Lindsey Smith was ninth (21:04.9), Kyleigh Calvert placed 11th overall for the Irish, while Paige Riley, Michaela McCloskey and Cara Stevenson were 14th, 17th and 19th, respectively.
Episcopal Academy junior Owen Maier finished fourth at the PAISAA Championships in 17:20.5. For the EA girls, Caitlin Jorgensen was eighth (20:42.3) and Jill McEntee was 15th.
Friends’ Central (girls) finished third with 92 points in the PAISAA Championships. The rain and wind did not stop Friends’ Central from placing three girls in the top 10 – Rebecca Wusinich (second, 19:25.5), Micah Trusty (fourth, 19:42.2) and Lydia Russell (sixth, 19:54.7), as each of them earned first team all-state honors. Friends’ Central’s Ethan Cohen (11:01.80) and Noah Thomas (11:56.80) finished second and fourth respectively in the Freshman Boys 3000 meter run at the PAISAA Champs.
Haverford School finished ninth at the PAISAA State Championships, led by AJ Sanford (19th) Mickey Fairorth, captain Vincent Scauzzo and Ben Szathmary.
Malvern Prep finished third at the PAISAA Championships, with Zachary Brill (17:09.6) placing third behind first-place finisher Robert DiDonato of Germantown Academy (16:48.8).
Shipley runners Zach Freels (19:57) and Sonia Joseph (24:23) led the way for the Gator boys and girls, respectively, during a cold and rainy afternoon at the PAISSA State Championships. The Shipley girls as a team finished in 12th place.
In other Main Line high school sports action (the high school wrap-up is compiled from game results sent to Main Line Times & Suburban and our sister newspapers):

Girls’ volleyball
Academy of Notre Dame (16-2, 8-0) advanced to the PAISAA finals (played Nov. 1 against Agnes Irwin) by defeating Germantown Academy 3-0 Tuesday by scores of 25-14, 25-14, 25-12. Captain Lexi Shreiner had the hot hand, with 15 kills in 24 attacks, closely followed by Riley Shaak with 13 kills on 20 attacks. Grace Geurin was a dominating force at the net with six blocks while adding five kills.
Baldwin School lost to Agnes Irwin, 3-0, in the PAISAA semifinal Tuesday. Leading the Polar Bears were Cartier Thomas (17 assists, two aces), Anajah Brown (six kills, seven blocks), Tessa Pearlstein (six kills, two blocks), Laura Pellicano (four aces, three kills, two digs) and Taylor Trapp (four aces, 16 digs).
The Polar Bears defeated George School, 3-0, Oct. 26 in the first round of the PAISAA tournament, posting scores of 25-4, 25-17 and 25-16. Strong serving from the Polar Bears’ Anajah Brown (five aces), Hanna Maier (five aces) and Taylor Trapp (four aces) kept the Panthers out of system most of the match. Leading Baldwin were Cartier Thomas (16 assists), Anajah Brown (seven kills, one block), Tessa Pearlstein (seven kills), Makayla Pratt (six kills), Laura Pellicano (three aces, four kills, three digs), Hanna Maier (five aces), Elise Kait (four aces) and Georgia Dahm (two kills).

Field hockey
Academy of Notre Dame (17-2-1, 8-2) defeated Penn Charter, 10-0, Tuesday, as Lauren Curran scored eight goals, including her 100th career goal.
Archbishop Carroll advanced to the Catholic League finals (held on Nov. 1) with a 4-0 semifinal victory against Archbishop Wood Oct. 16, thanks to a tough defense led by Emma Sutter and Carly Bateman and goals by Carleigh Connors and Katie LaBella. Second half goals by Connors and Maeve Riehman sealed the deal for Carroll. Mary Kate Kearney yielded no goals for another shutout and recorded two saves along the way.
Episcopal Academy (11-2-2, 6-2-1) defeated Springside Chestnut Hill, 4-1, Oct. 26. Maddie Rehak scored two goals, and Laura Null and Macy Szukics each tallied a goal. Szukics, Kelly Smith, Gianna Pantaleo and Annie Rau each dished out an assist. Lauren Devletian had a defensive save, and EA goalies Caroline Kelly and Gianna Cilluffo recorded one save each.
Friends’ Central lost to Westtown, 1-0, Oct. 24. Phoenix goalie Nora Wadsworth recorded seven saves.
Sacred Heart defeated No. 2 seed Jenkintown, 3-2, Oct. 25 in the District 1 A semifinals to qualify for the PIAA state tournament for the fourth time in program history and the first since 2009. Julia Flood and Dani Santora scored early to give the Lions a 2-0 lead, then Flood put home a perfect pass from Mary Lauren Franz off a corner with 15 minutes left to extend the lead to 3-1. SH goalie Gigi Backe and a defense led by Sara Terzian, Amanda Heilmann and Lilly Flanagan stopped Jenkintown in the closing minutes.

Soccer
Episcopal Academy (boys) lost to Springside Chestnut Hill, 3-1, Tuesday, getting a goal from Smauel Wilson (assisted by Rowan Brumbaugh). EA goalie Trevor Manion had six saves.
The EA girls defeated Springside Chestnut Hill, 2-1, Oct. 26, led by Olivia Dirks (one goal, one assist) and Anna Salvucci (one goal, one assist), who scored the game-winner with 1:15 left, off an assist by Dirks and Ali McHugh. EA goalie Allie Bush had three saves.
Shipley (girls) defeated Friends’ Central, 1-0, Tuesday in the Friends Schools League semifinal. Junior Liv Hamilton was able to find space and get a shot off from distance, scoring the Gators’ lone goal. Senior goalie Grace Gordon had eight saves on the day.

Crew

Lower Merion’s Novice 4+ Girls brought home a silver medal, placing second out of 26 boats competing in the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta Oct. 28, with a time of 17:20.594 in the 2.5 mile race. The boat included Théa Kerekes, Jena Dessain, Rose Leinhauser, Jane Spencer and coxswain Faye Berry.
Shipley’s Girls Varsity Quad finished fifth out of 35 boats at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia Oct. 28. They were the fastest scholastic team, and only finished 27 seconds behind the first place composite club from RowAmerica Rye. The boat was comprised of Casey Winter, Talia Chairman, Lucia Helmers and Jordan Winter.

Water polo
Episcopal Academy (girls) defeated Penn Charter, 14-7, Oct. 26, led by Jovana Sekulic (six goals, two assists, four steals), Astrid Faustmann (five goals, one assist, three steals, three kick outs drawn) and Mollie Bonner (four assists, one kick out drawn).
Haverford School (21-2, 7-0) clinched its first Inter-Ac championship since 2009 with an 11-9 win Tuesday against Germantown Academy, Senior goalie Nick Biddle led the way with 11 saves plus an assist and a steal. Offensively, juniors David Gobora and Ryan LaRocca had five goals apiece, and junior Matej Sekulic had four goals and a pair of steals for the Fords.
Malvern Prep (8-13-1, 2-6) defeated Penn Charter, 10-5, Tuesday. Brennan Robinson’s four goals and goalie Jake Caulfield’s 16 saves led the Friars. Eric Yablomski scored three goals, Ryan Cochran two and Dan Ward one for Malvern.

Golf
Malvern Prep senior Matt Civitella won medalist honors at the PAISAA Tournament Monday, shooting a 1-over-par round of 71 on a blustery day at Gulph Mills Country Club. Malvern Prep senior John Updike tied for tied with Haverford School senior Sam Walker with a 72.